


Rollo's Owner

by AoNo



Category: Tales of Xillia
Genre: Based on some skits, Brotherly Love, F/M, One sided, kinda angsty, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 04:17:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10654734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AoNo/pseuds/AoNo
Summary: The story of Ludger's quest for love. He may not get the girl, but at least he gets the cat! Based on the skits Vera's Broken Heart and Rollo's Owner.





	Rollo's Owner

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to Fanfiction June 2nd, 2015
> 
> Oldie but a goodie. Not re-edited so excuse any mistakes. This is just one of my older fics I still like, and I wanted something posted.

Ludger stood before the towering building of Triglyph college. Up until today he had been excited, almost giddy with anticipation. After all, once graduated he would be just one step closer to working with his brother. He was determined to become a Spirius Agent like him, not that he’d tell Julius that. 

Now that the day finally arrived, he couldn’t help but shuffle nervously. His brother had come for moral support, but now that they were there Ludger wanted to cling to him like a scared child. 

Julius noticed this and elbowed him teasingly, “Not getting cold feet already are you? Class hasn’t even started.” 

Ludger shook his head defensively, though it didn’t do much to hide his nervousness, “N-no, of course not!”

His older brother chuckled, “Alright then, you should head in before you’re late. Unless of course you want an escort.”

With a huff Ludger started walking, “I think I can manage on my own thanks.” However he didn’t get far before stopping and slowly turning around, “I’ll, uh, see you after school I guess.”

With a reassuring smile, Julius waved as he turned to leave, “You’ll do fine Ludger, I promise.” And then he was gone.

Ludger sighed, then turned and faced the building with forced determination. If Julius thought he would be fine, then he would be. He took a few cautious steps before going at a confident stride right up to the doors. Without hesitation he placed his hands on the door and pushed.

And ran right into the glass, the impact knocking him back, “Ow!”

He felt a pair of hands catch him from behind before he could make it to the ground. He turned, half expecting Julius to be there grinning like an idiot. Instead a young woman, who seemed to be around his age, stood with her hands on his back and bore a look of concern and a hint of amusement, “Hey there, you alright?”

It took a moment for Ludger to stop staring and stand upright, though it was hard to help. She was about his height and size; he could almost look straight ahead to look her in the eyes which were a dark blue with a lively spark. Her hair reached down to her cheeks in a bob, the colour basically an inverted version of his own with grey bangs against near black hair. Her clothes were neat and tidy and consisted mostly of pink and purple, which seemed to suit her greatly.

“Oh, um, yeah. I’m, um, I’m fine…” Ludger couldn’t help but stammer, his words caught in his throat. It was bad enough he was shy around people, but having done what he did in front of such a cute girl set his nervous over the edge. His cheeks felt hot, and the fact that he probably already looked like a blushing tomato made it worse.

The girl giggled, all concern gone, “Well that’s good! I was a bit worried there, you hit the door pretty hard.”

Ludger simply nodded and scratched the back of his head, a habit Julius had pointed out whenever he got nervous. He wanted to say something, a thank you or an apology, but his embarrassment ate every word that came to mind. Instead he shuffled back and opened the door, careful to pull this time, and gestured for her to go in.

She smiled, “Why thank you,” and walked through the open door. He followed her inside as they both entered the front foyer. She turned back to him and asked, “So where are you heading off to?”

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a neatly folded schedule with an attached map of the building. He quickly scanned it before pointing to a room on the second floor.

The girls eyes lit up, “Now way, we’re in the same class! C’mon, let’s walk there together!” She started skipping ahead before catching herself and turned back toward him with a grin, “Oh, my name’s Nova! You are?”

The question barely registered to Ludger, her excitement about sharing a class having rendered his brain mute and his name nearly forgotten. His named flashed in his mind, the words coming out like a machine gun “Oh, I’m Ludger. Ludger Will Kresnik.” He realised after he had given his full name that she hadn’t given hers, and cursed his nerves further.

It seemed to have gone unnoticed by Nova who was probably too energetic to either say anything of it or care. She just continued to smile brightly, seemingly lightening up the entire building. She ran over and grabbed his hand and nearly dragged him along with her as she headed for the staircase, “Come on Luds or we’ll be late!”

It was probably thanks to her that they had made it just in time. They, or more Nova, made sure they chose seats close to each other before getting settled. She seemed unusually excited for the class to begin. Ludger wasn’t sure if it was strange or cute, the way she practically bounced in her seat like a kid waiting for cake.

The class, as well as the rest of the day, flew by. While they only had a couple other classes together, Ludger couldn’t focus on anything but her. If she wasn’t sitting near him, he was stuck thinking about her; her smile, her charisma, her kindness. The very thought of her made him smile, and the fact that she wanted to walk part-way home together gave him butterflies. 

After their final class they met up in the foyer. The two left the building while chatting about their day. Nova did most of the talking, though Ludger was fine with that. He had never been much of a talker and he was more than happy to do most of the listening. 

A figure up ahead caught his eye and he flinched when he saw who it was. It was Julius, waving him down through the crowd in the spot they had planned to meet up, which Ludger had completely forgotten about.

Nova followed his gaze and spotted, “Who’s that?”

Ludger sighed. He had hoped she wouldn’t notice so they could avoid him; he knew his brother well enough to know he would tease him in front of her. The last thing he wanted was to be embarrassed by both himself and his brother in the same day. Of course, there was no avoiding it now, “Yeah, he’s my older brother.”

He looked over when she didn’t respond immediately. She seemed to be studying Julius from afar, most likely trying to determine how they could be related since the similarities were less obvious than the differences. 

“We’re half brothers.” He stated to answer her unasked question.

He seemed to have snapped her out of a daze, her head quickly turning to him then back to Julius, “Huh? Oh, yeah, I was gonna say…” Her voice trailed off and she got quiet, which, despite not knowing her too long, he knew was unlike her. She suddenly became her usually pumped up self and shouted out, “Well come on then, you gotta introduce me!”

Once again her hand claimed his and she dragged him through the crowd towards his brother. He tried to apologise to the people she shoved aside, but she was moving so fast it was hard to form words quick enough. 

Julius has a look of slight shock on his face, whether from their entrance or Nova herself, which was quickly replaced by a warm smile, “Well well, I see you made a new friend already.”

Before Ludger had a chance to speak a word, Nova had straightened up with a playful salute, “Nova here, newest bud of your little bro!”

Julius seemed to be caught off-guard by her energy as much as Ludger initially had. However, unlike Ludger he was quick to compose and responded with a smile, “My name’s Julius, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Nova giggled, her arms swaying at her sides, “It’s nice to meet you too!”

Ludger sighed and shook his head. He couldn’t tell if Nova was just friendly to everyone or if Julius’ natural charm had taken another prisoner. He secretly hoped it wasn’t the latter.

After introductions the three left the campus and headed towards their home. Along the way the three of them talked about various small topics; school, work, local news and the such. Ludger was always more talkative with Julius around and was finally able to have a conversation with Nova, even with Julius occasionally making a comment. He was just happy that his brother didn’t pull out one of his embarrassing stories like he usually did around his friends. 

They parted ways in front of their apartment, Nova living a few blocks down. With their good-bye’s said the two brothers headed inside. 

As they walked down the hall Ludger couldn’t help but notice the broad grin on his brother's face, “What are you smiling for?”

His brother laughed, “Oh nothing. I’m just glad to see you making a friend so soon. You two seem like you’ll be good together.”

Ludger shot him a glare as he pressed the button to summon the elevator, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Julius shook his head, his smile still present, “Not a thing.” The elevator dinged, the doors sliding open soon after. Julius stepped inside while throwing a final comment, “I’m sure you two be together for a long time.”

Ludger blushed with an outburst, “What?!” and nearly missed getting into the elevator. 

Days turned to weeks, and weeks to months. All the while Ludger happily went to school, more happy to be with Nova than the classes themselves. He had begun to come out of his shell and was capable of holding conversations on is own rather than simply listening, which she seemed to like. They started hanging out outside of class, usually with Julius tagging along. Not that he minded too much, he was more comfortable with him there. If they were alone together outside the school walls, he was almost certain his nerves would make him freeze up. 

After a few months, Ludger noticed Nova acting strangely. She became more fidgety, and whenever all three of them would hang out he often caught her with a blush on her cheeks. Her actions almost seemed to reflect his feelings whenever he was around her. That thought made him both happy and nervous; perhaps she had recognized his feelings and felt the same? He didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, but he hoped he was right. If he wasn’t such a nervous wreck at the thought, he would have confessed to her a while ago. 

Then the night everything changed came. 

Ludger originally had plans to hang out with one of his old friends, though he had been cancelled on last minute. With Julius having to step out suddenly and Nova apparently having plans, he was left alone in the apartment to cook their dinner. Not that he minded of course. If it wasn’t for him wanting to work with his brother as an agent, being a chef would be his first choice. 

A sudden knock on the door made him jump, the ladle in his hand dropping to the floor with a loud clang. He cursed quietly and wiped the tomato soup onto his apron as he walked to the door, “Coming!” 

He tried to think of who could possibly be at the door at this hour of the evening. His first thought was Julius; it wouldn’t have been the first time his brother had forgotten his key. He opened the door with a sigh, “Julius you really should stop-oh!”

The person on the other side was the last person he would have expected. Standing there was Nova, who seemed just as startled to see him, “Ah, Ludger?”

He was about to ask why she was there until he noticed her composure, which was very unlike her. She was shuffling nervously with her hands fidgeting behind her back, her eyes seemed unable to look at his. 

“Um, Nova, are you alright?” 

His question visibly made her jump. Her body tensed and her legs shook almost as much as her voice, “Um, uh…” She suddenly shut her eyes and flung her arms forward without a word. 

Ludger looked to see a blue gift box with a dark blue decorative ribbon clutched in her shaking hands. He slowly reached out and took it. As soon as it left her hands, she darted down the hall. He tried to call out to her, but she had slipped through the elevator doors just as they were about to close and nearly crashed into the person inside.

He just stared at the closed elevator, a million thoughts running through his head. One such thought finally made him look down at the box in his hands; what could possibly be inside that made her so nervous? 

Slowly and carefully, he undid the ribbon and opened the lid. Inside was a blue feather charm, one that he recognized from the accessory stall nearby. On top of the charm was a neatly folded slip of pink paper. He went inside the apartment and put the box down while unfolding the paper. It was a note, the bubbly words written in dark purple ink:

I saw this charm and it made me think of you! It’s said to bring good luck, and I feel so lucky to have met you. I hope you’ll think of me the same way whenever you look at it! 

Love, Nova <3

P.S. Meet me tomorrow even at the Seahaven. There’s something I want to talk out. See you then! Hugs!

Ludger read and reread the note more times than he could count, but every time it said the same thing. He was feeling a whirlwind of emotions, but a smile crept up on his lips all the same. The butterflies returned; he had never felt such a mix of nervousness and excitement. He wasn’t sure his nerves would hold out until tomorrow night.

“Is something burning?”

The sudden voice interrupted his thoughts. He hadn’t even noticed that Julius had entered the apartment. His brother’s comment finally registered and the smell of burning tomato soup reached his senses, “Oh crap!” He ran over and moved the pot to a cool burner, nearly burning his hands in the process. 

His brother tutted, “Well that’s certainly not like you, burning good food like that.” He noticed the pink paper on the ground and picked it up, reading it before Ludger could attempt to stop him. 

When Julius finished, he smiled, “Well well, I’d say this is a surprise but then I’d be lying.” He looked over to Ludger while waving the note, “So when did this happen?”

Ludger blushed while scratching his head, “A few minutes ago. She just kinda gave it to me and ran off without a word. Oh,” He reached over to the table and gently picked up the feather charm, “and this is the charm from the note. It’s really nice,” he smiled as he added, “just like her.”

Julius smiled and placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, “I’m glad to see this girl makes you so happy. I hope tomorrow goes well for you.”

Ludger smiled back and nodded. Tomorrow would be the day he could finally tell Nova what she meant to him.

The rest of the evening, and well into the following day, followed the same pattern with Ludger frantically preparing for the meeting. He ran around the apartment looking for the perfect clothes resulting in needing to fix his hair multiple times, followed by him rambling about how he wasn’t sure he could do it. All the while Julius sat back to enjoy the show while giving his brother reassurance that it would be fine. 

“After all, she already confessed to you. All you have to do is tell her that you return her feelings.”

Ludger sighed while adjusting his tie in the mirror, “You say that likes it’s easy.”

Julius chuckled, “You have nothing to be worried about. You’re a nice guy, she’d be lucky to have someone like you.”

Ludger turned around to face him, he face overtaken with his nerves, “You sure?”

His brother walked over to him and adjusted the tie properly, “Positive. After all, your cooking is more than enough reason to fall for you.”

The younger brother squirmed away frowning, “Julius don’t say things like that! I’m nervous enough as is…”

The two hands of his brother on his shoulders made him turn back. His brother was smiling encouragingly, any sign of teasing now absent, “You’ll do fine. Stop worrying so much.”

Ludger said nothing and nodded with a smile. He then caught a glimpse of the time out of the corner of his eye, “Oh crap, it’s getting late!” and bolted for the door. He turned back as he closed the door, “I’ll call you when I’m coming home” and shut it behind him. 

He stood outside the apartment for a moment and took a few deep breaths to try and calm his nerves. Just to make sure, he looked down to his backside to check that the charm was still clipped to his pants. With a nod of approval, we made his way to the elevator. 

Outside the air was cool with the crispness of the spring evening, yet heavy with oncoming rain. Ludger shivered slightly, suddenly wishing he had brought a coat or even umbrella. There was no turning back now though. If he went back up, he may not be able to gather the courage to go back down. 

After another moment, and a few more deep breaths, he started walking toward the seahaven. It was a short walk, but the thoughts racing through his mind seemed to slow time down. It was nothing but a rapid fire chain of scenarios and things to say. He caught himself playing with the feathers dangling from his side, and he was suddenly hoping that it really was made for good luck. 

He finally reached the gate, the cold wind smacking him with an icy palm as soon as he turned the corner. The gusts combined with the first light drops of rain made him shiver and his breath shake. If he didn’t regret bringing cover from the weather before, he definitely did now. 

Quickly scanning the area he soon spotted Nova, easily recognising her spring coat and purple and pink umbrella. At that he smiled, the cold nearly forgotten, and walked toward him. She was facing away from him, out towards the sea. Even when he arrived behind her, she made no sign of sensing his presence.

He shuffled his feet, unsure of what to say with his nerves returning. He wasn’t sure why but something felt off, the feeling slowly tearing down his confidence, “Hey, Nova?”

Ludger couldn’t help but notice her flinch at hearing his voice. Something was definitely off and it wasn’t just the weather picking up. She was never this quiet or tense in all the months he’d known her. 

Just as he was about to say something, he caught her voice, though barley, “Hey, Ludger.”

Ludger frowned, concerned, “Nova, is something wrong?”

Again she didn’t answer. For a moment he wasn’t sure if the wind had carried his voice away. 

She shuffled slightly, but still didn’t turn around. Her voice shook as she spoke, “Ludger I...I’m so sorry.”

Of all the scenario’s he had thought of, of all the possible outcomes, those words were the last he expected. His heart dropped and his words caught in his throat. He forced himself to speak, cursing his emotions for breaking his voice, “What are you apologising for?”

Her shoulders tensed, her grip on the umbrella handle visibly tightening, “I...I shouldn’t have…” She slowly turned around to face him. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes and the pain on her face, “I shouldn’t have done that...yesterday…” Her voice trailed off and her gaze fell. 

Ludger felt like he should have said something, but nothing came to him. It wasn’t that he couldn’t speak but rather that he didn’t know what to say. He stood there, unable to look at her even without her looking at him. 

A low rumble of thunder shook the ground, the light patter of rain suddenly becoming a depressing shower. Ludger was soaked in an instant, but still made no attempt to move. Neither of them did, and no words were spoken. He wasn’t sure how long they stood there, but to him it felt like an eternity. 

“It’s alright.” The words escaped him without him realising, shocking Nova almost as much as himself. He just wanted to leave, to be alone. He looked up to her and forced a smile, attempting to control his voice as best he could, “I should go. I’ll see you at school.”

He turned to leave, but Nova’s voice stopped him, “Wait! The weather, you don’t have an umbrella...I can, I can walk you home if you want.”

Ludger didn’t look back, he couldn’t. He turned his head slightly, only just enough for her to hear him, “It’s okay, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” 

His voice gave out on the last few words. He didn’t say another word and ran. He couldn’t help it, not that he cared. His legs carried him out the gate and through the streets until he was running through the back alleys. He didn’t know where he was going, he just knew it wasn’t home. After everything Julius had said, all the confidence he had had in him, he couldn’t face his brother with rejection. 

Fatigue finally caught up to him, his legs heavy with rain and cold. He slowed down to a walk before slumping against an alley wall. He slid down against the brick, not caring about the puddle seeping into his shoes. It wasn’t like he could get much wetter.

Ludger buried his head into his arms, hot tears streaming down his cheeks ice cold cheeks. The thunder overhead drowned out his sobs, though it didn’t help his shaking. The shivering was making his body sore, the cold rain water seeping into his limbs. He felt stiff and cold and weak, whether from the rain or emotions or both, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he didn’t want to leave even if he could still stand.

A small squeak made him look up. He blinked away the tears and rain to see a small white and grey kitten. It was crouched in front him and shivering more than he was. It’s fur was soaked and matted and clung to its skinny frame. It looked up at him with large green eyes that glowed with the flash of lightning. 

Ludger reached out a stiff hand toward the kitten. It cautiously sniffed his fingers, making sure he meant it no harm. After a squeak of approval the kitten scurried towards him, desperate for shelter and warmth. Ludger picked it up and pulled it close, it’s tiny body shivering in his hands.

He stroked his fingers on its tiny frame, “Looks like we’re both rejects huh…”

Another flash of light lit up the sky, followed shortly by a loud crack of thunder. The kitten squealed in fear, even Ludger flinched with a yelp. The storm had intensified, his old fear of storms creeping up on him. 

The sound of rain was suddenly muffled by a pair of hands covering his frozen ears. His head shot up to see none other than, “Julius…” His voice came out in a breathy whisper and was nearly drowned out by another crack of thunder. 

His brother looked at him with pure concern, his chest heaving for breath as if he had just run around the entire city. Knowing him, he probably had. His hands moved down and rested on Ludger’s arms the warmth of his palms easily passing through his soaked shirt, “Are you alright?”

Ludger didn’t answer for a moment and stared up at his brother. He tried to speak, but he choked on his words, his cheeks warm with fresh tears. Instead he shook his head and huddled into his brother’s embracing arms.

The movement caused the kitten to stir in his arms with a small squeak. Julius looked down and saw the tiny frame. He smiled sympathetically, “What have we here? Picking up small kittens I see.”

Again Ludger said nothing. Julius reached out and stroked the kitten’s head, “Why don’t we get you both home. I can even make you some soup if you’d like.”

Ludger couldn’t help but snort at the offer. His brother looked at him with a playfully hurt expression, “My cooking isn’t that bad, is it?”

The two brothers stood up, with Julius’ help in Ludger’s case, their limbs cold and stiff from the rain. Ludger was thankful when his brother slung his coat over his shoulders. He took out and opened the umbrella he had packed and held it up with one hand, his other wrapped around Ludger for extra warmth and support. 

As the walked down the alley, Julius looked down at the sleeping kitten cradled in Ludger’s arms, “What should we name him?”

Ludger sniffled and shook his head. He looked down at the tiny kitten who had rolled up into a little ball of wet fur. He shrugged, “Rollo?”

Julius nearly burst out laughing at the offer, earning him a glare from his brother. He simply shook his head and chuckled, “No no, I like it. It’s...ironic in a way, with him being so small I mean.” He looked down again at the tiny bundle and smiled, “Welcome to the family, Rollo.”


End file.
